Engine



March 24, 1925. 1,530,881

' J. B. BURKS ENGINE Fued se t. 12, 1921 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. B. BURKS March 24, 1925.

ENGINE Qhw 5 RB i w FE V M u iiillilwli. Na h A g s a 5 March 24, 1925'. 1,530,881

I J. B. BURKS I ENGINE Filed Sept. 12, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MII E/YTOI? March 24, 1925. 1,530,881

J. a. BURKS ENGINE Filed Sept. 12, 1921 5 Shets-Sheet. 5

To all whom it may] concern.

whereinzfi v Figure 1 1s a longitudinal vert cal sec Figure 6 is Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES :e. zeuaxs'or Houston, exas.

ENGINE.

Application filed-I September 12, 1921; 'S eriaLsNo. 499,885.

Be; it known that I, JAMES B. BUaKs, a citizen oftheUnited States,- residing' at Houston, in the-county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and use- .ful Improvements in anEngine, of which the following, is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an engine,

One object of theinvention is to provide,

an engineof the character described, spe cially adapted. foruse on boats and other water craft, and which is struction, is made offewparts and is easily controlled. d i

Another objectis to provide an engine of the character described adaptedfor the use of steam asa motive power an-d equipped with a novel formv of valve fortheapplication thereof. H

With the above and other objects in view, this invention has particular relation to certain novel features ofconstruction; operation and arrangement of parts an example this specification I and of. which isv given in illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

tional view of the engine,

Figure2 is an enlarged longitudinalverthe controlling valve tical sectional view of and a1djacent parts.

F gure 3 is a. vertical sectional View thereof taken. on the line ofv Figure-2. 35

sleeve.

Figure 4. shows aside view of the valve Figure 5 is anend,v view, thereof.

longitudinal vertical sec tional view of another form. oftheengine,

vFigure 7 is an enlarged. longitudinalvertical sectional view of the valve employedgin this form. v v

Figure 8 is a vertical. sectional view thereof,taken on the line 8- 8 ofFigure7 Figures 9 and 10 show side andend views, respectively, of the valve sleeve employed; in thisform; and j V f Figure 11 shows. anend. View of this form oftheengine. I f 7 Referring more particularly te -the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the base on which, the-cylinder block2 is mounted. This block, as shown, has, three cylinders, 3,; 4, .5. In these cylinders; the pistons -6 ork, f ea risen tas e an s ed a: th s ants aft 8 v y at he u ua sen- 7 "ing 11 mounted onthe base 1.

of: simple coni i will, have-registered with the" necting rods'i. The crank shaft is rotatably mountedin suitable bearings in'the engine base 1 and; one end thereof is formed to beconnected to the work to be driven. The

other endof this shaft is connected to a. ro-

tary valve 9, surrounding which there is a PA T: F- m valve sleeve 10, slidably mounted in the cas-- The outer end of the sleeve lO has the link 12'piv oted thereto at one end and the other end ofthis link, is pivoted to the manual lever 13-. This lever may be secured in any position desired by means of the usual rocka-nd dog arrangement 14.

The valve 9 has the form of a hollow cylinderwith both ends closed. At opposite ends it has the annular peripheral grooves 15 and 16, the former of which communicates with the interior of the valve through the ports 17 An inlet-steam line 19 is connected into the valvecasing-ll, opposite thegroove l5, and

andthe latter of which connects with a spiralled groove 18, in the valve 9.

and 22' arranged tOIfGglStBI with said inlet 7 p and exhaust lines.

The sleeve 10 also has the outwardlyltaperingforward ports 23,24 and25, and reverse ports26, 27 and 28, arranged. in staggered;

relatiomas shown in Figure 4. 4

Thevalve 9 has the steam ports 29, SO'and 3-1, arrangedxlgO? apart and located so as tosuccessively register with the steam pipes 32, 33 and 34 respectively, as said valve ro- Thesepipes lead from the valve casand enter theexpansion chambers of the".

tates. 111g respective cylinders 3,4 and 5, as shown in .Fi 'ure 1. i Y l I gteamlenters the valve .9, from'the steam line .19, through the ports 21 and 17 and whenthe valve :port .31 registers with the pipe 34lthe steam will pass into-the expansion chamber of the-cylinderlfi.

-As the valve continues to rotate the port 31 will pass out of registration, with saidsteampipe and the exhaust groove 18 will come into registrationtherewith and the spent steam will return;through the pipe 34, the-grooves 18, and 1.6 and will be exhausted through the eX-,

haust pipe 20. Meanwhile thesteam port 30 steampipe 38 steam will, be delivered into the expan 5 0 hamber of the cyllnderi l and when the steers. 1s e t r t a d; pip d forwardly.

spent steam will be exhausted from said last mentioned cylinder. And soon, the steam will be delivered to and exhausted from said cylinders, in succession through the pipes 32, 33 and 34, each pipe alternately delivering steam to and exhausting it from itscorresponding cylinder.

It is to be observed that the valve sleeve controls the passage of steam through the valve to the steam pipes 32, 33 and 34. This sleeve may be adjusted so. that the forward ports 23, 2d and will be in position to register with the corresponding valve ports 29. and 31 and the engine will be driven To reverse; the engine the valve sleeve may be adjusted, through the lever 13, so thatthe reverse ports 26, 27 and 28 will register with the corresponding valve ports I and the engine will be reversed. The valve sleeve ports are correspondingly tapered, as above explained, so that the path of travel of the valve ports across them may be lengthened, or shortened,-and the amount'of steam delivered to the cylinders thus controlled by a suitable shifting of the valve sleeve.

' In'the form shown in Figures 6 to 11 inelusive, provision is made for delivering steam to, and exhausting it from, opposite sides of thepistons 6. In this form the v steam pipes 35, 36 and 37 lead from one side of the casing 11 and communicate with the respective cylinders 3, 4 and 5 between the pistons 6 and the cylinder heads, and the steam pipes 38, 39 and 40 lead from the opposite sides of the casing 11 and communicate with said respective cylinders 3, 4 and 5 on the other sides'of the pistons 6. The valve sleeve, in this form, has two series of forward ports, '23 24: and 25, as well as two series of reverse ports, 26 27 and 28', oppositely arranged so as to register alternately with the respective steam pipes of the two series, 37, 36, and 35, and 38, 89, and 4:0, ofpipes. In the other respects this form of the engine is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, and hereina-bove described.

What I claim is 1.- In an englne a communication with an inlet steam'lineand also provided with an outletportand a spiralled exhaust passageway, a valve sleevearound said valve provided with an outlet port, said sleeve port alternately registerf ing witlrsaid valve outlet port and exhaust passageway. a

ing, saidvalve having a steam inlet passageway in constant-registration w1th said inlet line, and a spiralled exhaust passageway in constant registration with said exhaust line,

hollow rotary valve, provided with a steam inlet port in constant adapted to be brought into and out of registration with said inlet and exhaust lines respectively, said .valve and sleeve, each, also having an outlet port, said sleeve outlet port being arranged to register alternately with the valve outlet port and spiralled exhaust passageway. a

8. In an engine, a valve casing, a slidable sleeve therein, formed with oblong end ports, a hollow rotary valvein the sleeve, formed with annular end grooves communicating with said end ports, one of said grooves having inlet ports, leading into the interior of the valve, an inlet steam line entering the casing, an exhaust'line leading from the casing, said inlet and exhaust line-s being in constant communication with said grooves, a spiralled exhaust groove around said valve in constant communication with said exhaust line, through one of said end groove's,,said valve and sleeve each also having an outlet port, said outlet port of said sleeve being arranged to register alternately with the valve outlet port and exhaust passageway, and means for shifting the sleeve lengthwise relative to the valve.

4. An engine including a pluralityof cylinders, a crank shaft, pistons in said .cyhnders operatively connected to the crank shaft, steam conduits entering the expansion chambers ofthe respective cylinders, means controlling said conduits andformed to alternately admit steam into and exhaust it 'from said chambers in succession, said means including a valve casing, a sliding sleeve therein, a hollow rotary valve in the sleeve,v an inlet steam line entering the casing, an exhaust lineleading from the cas ing, said valve having a steam inlet passageway in constant registration with said inlet line, and a spiralled exhaust passageway in constant registration with said exhaust line,

said sleeve having inlet and exhaust ports" adapted to be brought into and out of registration withsaid inlet and exhaust lines, respect-ively, said' valve andsleeve each also havingan outlet port, said sleeve outlet port being" arranged to register alternately with the valve'outlet port, andspiralled exhaust passageway.

-5'.- An engine including a plurality of cylindersQa crank shaft ,,pistons in said cylinders operatively' connected to the crank shaft;st-eam conduits entering the expansion chambers of the respective cylinders, means controlling said conduits and formed to alternately admit steam into and exhaust it from said chambers in succession, said means including a valve casing, a sliding sleeve'thereln, a hollow rotary valve in the sleeve, an inlet steam line entering the casing, an exhaust line leadingfrom the easing, said valve having a steam inlet passa way--in constant registration with said in at line, and a spiralled exhaust passageway in constant registration With said exhaust line, said sleeve having inlet and exhaust ports adapted to be brought into and out of leg istration with said inlet and exhaust lines, respectively, said valve and sleeve each also having an outlet port, said sleeve out-let port being arranged to register alternately with the valve outlet port, and spiralled exhaust passageway, sleeve lengthwise relative to the valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' JAMES B. BURKS.

WVit-nesses: I

E. V. HARDWAY, W. H. DUNLAY;

and means for shifting the m 

